Hearty cheer for YoungStars

Three Alices for the price of one in music theatre Wonderland

Newbury YoungStars: Alice in Wonderland, at Arlington Arts, Snelsmore, on Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21

Alice in Wonderland was certainly a good choice for a young theatre group, with the famous larger-than-life characters all on parade and behaving throughout as many young persons do in certain situations.

Newbury YoungStars had this show covered from the start, with a bright and colourful dance sequence, followed by the song Alice in Wonderland, which soon became a jazz standard after the Disney film opened in London in 1951.

The film was an animated feature, with the voices dubbed by actors and singers, but here we were treated to a lavish stage presentation, with a large country scene projection at the back of the stage and the characters and chorus in colourful costumes.

Mabel Stewart was a lithe White Rabbit, heading for Wonderland as Alice scampered after her, following the opening songs. We had three Alice actors for the price of one, with Sophie Willcocks starting off, before drinking the liquid that turned her into Tall Alice (Anna Tippett) or Small Alice, Ruby Waters. All three did very well in the part, and director Sarah Scott and choreographer Ellen Busby worked out impressive ways of changing Alice - at one point she changed on stage in front of everyone, surrounded by a chorus of young people whose clever movements momentarily deceived the eye.

Luke Diprose and Frankie Lochhead had a good little comedy double-act, as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, with Luke also playing Door Knob at one point and Emily Hamilton made a fine Caterplillar, if I can put it that way.

Caitlin Richards was a robust Queen of Hearts and Riley Seamons doubled well as the Dodo and The King of Hearts, even if the parts he played seem a bit incompatible.

With a cast of 25, there is not room to mention everyone, but every part played was spot-on in character, movement and the ability to sing very well.

This was indeed a well-paced, smooth and colourful production, every part neatly co-ordinated from the piano, bass and percussion music trio to the lively dance routines and final Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah curtain calls at the end.

DEREK ANSELL